Typewriting machine



J. A. B. SMITH TYPEWRITING MACHINE April 8 1924.

Filed Sent. 29. 1920 Patented Apr. 8, 1924.

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FFICE.

JESSE A. B. SMITH, OF STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO UNDEBW'OODTYPE- WRITER COMPANY, OLE NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

'rrrnwnitrrne Macrame.

' Application filed September 29,1920. Serial No. 413,476.

T 0 all whom it may "concern:

Be itknown that I, J ESSE A. B. SMITH, a citizen of the United States,residing in Stamford, in the county of Fairfield and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inTypewriting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in typewriting machines, moreparticularly machines of the type known as Underwood fan-fold orcontinuous billers.

In a machine of this type, it is customary to use layers of work-websfed to the machine from reels at the rear thereof, or from across-folded pack, and when such work-webs with interleaved carbons arefed around the platen there is frequently a tendency for the sheets tocurl forwardly and downwardly from the guide-shelf or paper-table on theplaten-displacing frame at the delivery side of the platen and over thefront of the platen to obstruct the view of the work by the typist.

According to the present invention, provision may be made of aguide-finger mounted on the platen-displacing frame and normally restingadjacent the front table or guide-shelf. It will be understood that, byso mounting the guide-finger, it is possible to avoid such interferencewith the swinging of the platen-displacing frame as would arise if theguide-finger were mounted on the front rail of the carriage.

To permit movement of the work-sheets from the front paper-table, forsevering them, or for making the underneath sheets accessible forerasures, the guide-finger may be shiftable to ineffective position.

Provision may also be made for adjusting the guide-finger to difierentpositions longitudinally of the platen.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In'the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a perspective of the device applied to a standard billingmachine (shown in part only).

Figure 2 is a section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail showing the mounting of thefinger-supporting slidemember on the rod.

of a modification.

The drawings show a carriage having end-Walls 10 between which issupported a swingable platen-displacing frame 12, which, as hereindisclosed, is fixed upon and rotatable about rock-shaft 13 pivoted inthe end-walls. A platen 15, having-an adjacent apron 7 andpressure-rolls 8, 9, is mounted upon a shaft 16 journaled in theswinging frame and is operable from the outer end of the carriage by ashaft 17 through the usual trainof gears 18, 19 and 20, whose well-knownfunction is explained in the lVernery & Smith Patent, No. 1,132,055,granted March 16, 1915. Types 21 are arranged to strike the platen 1nthe ordinary manner. The swinging frame also carries the usualweb-supporting and guiding shelf 30 and a tearing knife 31, as in saidpatent.

Mounted on the rock-shaft 13 near each end is a collar fixed to theadjacent end of the frame 12 and having a portion of its peripheryflattened as at 41. End bracketmembers 42 are provided with rearcut-away portions 43 large enough to permit the shaft 13 to entertherein, said cut-away portions leading into larger cut-out portions ofa size to permit the brackets to fit on the collars 40. The cylindricalportion of each bracket terminates at the cut-away portion in anupturned edge or lip 44 which'co-acts with the flattened portion 41 toprevent turning of the bracket relatively to the collar. Each bracket isfurther fixed to the collar by means of a screw 45 passing through thebracket and contacting with the collar. It willbe apparent from theabove construction that the brackets must be applied to the shaft 13 toone side of the collars, since the openings 43 permit the shaft, but notthe collars, to pass therethrough. Having'been applied to the shaft, thebrackets are then slid over the collars which fit into the largercut-out portions of the brackets.

In the forward ends of the brackets 42 are fixed, by means of screws 53,the ends of a rod running parallel to the shaft "13 and havingalengthwise groove 51.

A slide-member 55, having depending ears 56 through which passes the rod50, is adapted to move lengthwise of the rod, and carries on its uppersurface the forwardly-projecting paper-guiding finger 60 adaptednormally to rest adjacent the web-supporting or guide-shelf 30, to checkany tendency of the upper written portions of the sheets to curlforwardly. A spring-member 58 fixed to the slide at 59 urges a spline 58into the groove 51 and tends to hold the slide and finger in effectiveposition. The slide and attached finger may obviously be moved toineffective position by rotating said slide in a clockwise d rect on nhe, od 50. Th gu' d nge 60 may be adjusted along the platen by movingthe slide along the rod 50.

In the modification illustrated in Figure 4-, the grooved rod 50, theslide 55 and at tached finger are replaced by a smooth rod about whichrotates loosely the mem bers 71 and 72 forming a collar 73, the twoparts being fastened together by any suitable means, as at 74 The weightof the linger tends to position it normally against the shelf 30. It maybe moved to ineffective position by rotating in a clockwise direction,and may be adjusted along the platen by sliding it on the rod 70.

li hile I am aware that the front-guiding fingers have been used inmachines having paper-shelves upstanding at the delivery side of theplaten, vstill in those machines the platen is not mounted in a swingingframe for displacement upwardly and forwardly, for straightening out thewebs, to permit the shifting back of the carbons as in said lVer-nery &Smith patent. On the con ra y, the pap -finger r m unted di rectly uponthe carriage-frame, where they would form an obstruction in the way ofswinging the platen-frame upwardly and o war ly f aid purpose- A c rdi gt the present invention, these difficulties are overcome, and the web isheld from curling forwardly from said front paper-table, even thoughboth the table and the platen-frame are displaceable upwardly andforwardly.

Variations may be resorted to within the scope of the invention, andportions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a continuous billing typewriting machine comprising a carriagehaving endwalls, the combination of a shaft journaled in said end-walls,a swing-able platen-displacing frame fixed to said shaft and having afront guide-shelf, and paper-guiding means supported by, said shaft andcomprising a guide-finger normally resting adjacent said guide-shelf toprevent webs fed from the platen to the front guide-shelf from fallingaway from the guide-shelf while permitting a'free passage along thelatter.

2. In a continuous billing typewriting machine comprising a carriagehaving end walls, the combination of a shaft journalcd in saidend-walls, a swinging platen-carrying frame fixed to said shaft andhaving a frontguide-shelf, brackets fixed to said shaft, a rod carriedby said brackets and running parallel to said shaft, and a guidefingersupported by said rod and normally resting adjacent said guide-shelf,said guidefinger being adjustable along the platen lengthwise of therod.

3. In a continuous billing typewriting machine comprising a carriagehaving end walls, the combination of a shaft journalcd in saidend-walls, a swinging platen-carrying frame fixed to said shaft andhaving a front guide-shelf, brackets fixed to said shaft, a rod fixed tosaid brackets and running parallel to said shaft, and Ya guidefingerrotatably supported by said rod and normally resting adjacent saidguide-shelf, said guide-finger being adjustable lcngth wise of said rodto adjust it along the platen and adapted to be rendered ineffective byrotating it around said rod.

In a continuous billing typewriting machine comprising a carriage havingend walls, the combination of a shaft journaled in end-walls, a swingingplaten-carrying frame fixed to said shaft and having a frontguide-shelf, brackets fired to said shaft, a rod fixed to said bracketsand running parallel to said shaft, said rod having a longitudinalgroove onits periphery, a guide-finger supported by said rod andnormally resting adjacent said guide-shelf, said guide-finger beingadjustable along the platen lengthwise of the rod, and means, includinga spring fixed to said guide-finger, co-operating with said groove tomaintain the guide-finger in normal position, the guide-finger beingarranged to be rendered ineffective by rotating the guide-finger aboutthe rod.

5. In a continuous billing typcwriting machine comprising a carriagehaving cudwalls, the combination of a shaft jourualcd in said end-walls,a swinging frame fixed to said shaft and having a front guideshelf,collars attached to said shaft, brackets having cut-away portionsadapted to receive said collars, means for fixing the brackets on thecollars, a rod fixed in said brackets and running parallel to saidshaft, and a finger-piece supported by said rod and nor mally restingadj accnt said guide-shelf, said finger-piece being adjustablelengthwise of the rod.

6. In a continuous billing typewriting machine comprising acarriagehaving end-walls, the combination of a shaft journaled in saidend-walls, a swinging frame fixed to said shaft and having a frontguideshelf, collars attachedto said shaft and each having a portion ofits periphery flattened, brackets having cut-out portions formingcylindrical surfaces adapted to receive said collars, a

portion of each of said cylindrical surfaces large enough to permit theshaft to pass therein being cut away, means for fixing the bracketsrelatively to the collars comprising an upturned lip on said cylindricalsurface adjacent the cut-away portion and co-operating with theflattened portion of the shaft and screws passing through the bracketsand contacting with the shaft, a rod fixed in said brackets and runningparallel to said shaft, and a slide member rotatably mounted upon saidrod and having a finger-piece fixed thereto, said slide member andfinger-piece being adjustable lengthwise of the rod, and saidfinger-piece normally resting adjacent said guide-shelf and adapted tobe rendered ineffective by rotating the slide member on said rod.

7. In a continuous billing typewriting machine comprising a travelingcarriage, a platen-displacing frame swingably mounted in said carriageand comprising a guideshelf at the delivery side of the platen, a

rod fixed to said platen-displacing frame at the front thereof andextending parallel to the platen, a guide-finger mounted to swing aboutsaid rod and to be displaced with a said frame, and a spring-detentdevice to yieldably detain said guide-finger adjacent said guide-shelfto guide work-webs along the shelf when fed thereto by the platen.

8. In a continuous billing typewriting machine comprising a travelingcarriage, a platen-displacing frame swingably mounted in said carriageand comprising a guideshelf at the delivery side of the platen, and aguide-finger normally adjacent said guideshelf, to guide therealongwork-sheets fed thereto by the platen and mounted on the forward part ofsaid platen-displacing frame for displacement therewith and for movementto an ineffective position to permit the work-sheets to move away fromthe face of said guide-shelf.

9. In a continuous billing typewriting machine comprising a travelingcarriage, a platen-displacing frame swingably mounted in said carriageand comprising a guideshelf at the delivery side of the platen, awork-severing knife extending across the face of the guide-shelf, and aguide-finger normally adjacent said guide-shelf above the knife, toguide along the guide-shelf worksheets fed thereto by the platen, theguidefinger being pivoted on the displacing frame below the knife andtherefore mounted both for movement about the same axis as theplaten-displacing frame to be displaced therewith, and for movementrelative to the platen-displacing frame to ineffective posi tion topermit the work-sheets to be moved away from the face of saidguide-shelf and drawn against the knife for severing.

10. In a continuousbilling typewriting machine comprising a travelingcarriage,'a. platen-displacing frame sw'ingably mounted in said carriageand comprising a guideshelf at the delivery side of the platen, a

work-severing knife extending across the faceof the guide-shelf parallelto the platen, and a guide-finger normally adjacent said guide-shelf toguide work-webs therealong, said guide-finger pivoted on the forwardpart of said platen-displacing frame for swinging movement about ahorizontal axis, the arrangement being such that the guidefinger may bemoved in unison with the displacing frame when the latter is displaced,and may be swung away from the guideshelf to ineffectiveposition by thedrawing forward of the work against the knife in the wort-severingoperation.

11. In a continuous billing typewriting machine comprising a travelingcarriage, a platen-displacing frame swingably mounted in said carriageand comprising a guideshelf at the delivery side of the platen, and afinger mounted on theforward part of said platen-displacing frame andextending along said guide-shelf to guide therealong work-sheets fedthereto by the platen.

12. In a continuous billing typewriting machine comprising a travelingcarriage, a

platen-displacing frame swingably mounted in said carriage andcomprising a guideshelf at the delivery side of the platen, a rod fixedto said platen-displacing frame at the front thereof and extendingparallel to the platen, and a guide-finger mounted on said rod foradjustment therealong and extending along said guide-shelf to guidealong the guide-shelf work-sheets fed thereto by the platen.

13. In a typewriting machine, a shaft, a collar thereon having a flat atone side, and a bracket having a collar to fit over the first collar,the second collar being provided at one side with an opening to receivethe shaft, so that the second collar may be placed around the shaft andmoved along the shaft to position on the first collar.

14:. In a typewriting machine, a traveling carriage, a platen therein, aguide-shelf at the delivery side of the platen, a work-severing knife atthe delivery side of the platen between the guide-shelf and the positionof. the operator, and a guide-finger normally adjacent said guide-shelfabove the knife to guide work-webs therealong, said guide-fin germounted for swinging movement in a direction substantially at rightangles to the plane of the guide-shelf to an ineffective position; theconstruction and arrangement being such that the guide-finger may beswung awayfrom the guide-shelf to ineffective position by the drawingforward of the work-webs against the knife to sever them.

15. In a typewriting machine, a traveling carriage, a revoluble platentherein, a guidebe moved to ineffective position by the drawfingefforengaging the Work fed forward 111g forward toward the operator'of theup- 10 at the delivery Side of the platen, and means peieend of awork-sheet in the machine. supporting said finger for movement about anaxis parallel to the platen, axis and for yieldingly detaining thefinger in' effective or ineffective positib'n; the, construction andarrangement being such that the finger may JESSE A. B. SMITH. Witnesses:

EDITH B. LIBBEY, CATHERINE A. NEWELL.

